Machiavelli believed that human beings are extremely stupid and always have unsatisfied desires and inflated ambitions; they are always influenced by interests, seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and are selfish. Therefore, altruism and justice do not exist, and people's occasional good deeds are just a disguise to gain fame and benefits. People are "ungrateful, double-minded, deceitful, pretending to be good, desperate and greedy"; even the best people are prone to corruption, because doing evil is more beneficial to themselves, and telling lies is more pleasing to others. . People have a natural tendency to submit to power. What a monarch needs is cruelty, not love. People should choose lions and foxes among wild animals. They should be as cruel as lions and as cunning as foxes. The monarch may as well become accustomed to doing evil and not be troubled by being criticized for his cruel behavior; "compassion is dangerous, and human love is enough to destroy a country." Machiavelli famously said: "As long as the end is right, the means justifies the means."
Machiavelli also pointed out: It is better to be feared than to be respected and loved. "It is safer for a prince to be feared than to be loved." But sometimes it is necessary to convince the people that the monarch is a "man of virtues." That is to say, the ruler should show love for the people as a son and be kind and generous in public. Punishing people should be done by others, and in the end, you can blame others and find scapegoats to avoid being condemned by the people. Rewarding others should be done personally to avoid allowing subordinates to do personal favors. Favors should come little by little to give them hope; blows to others should be fatal in one fell swoop to prevent them from having the possibility of revenge. A monarch should usually keep his face low, pretend to be ignorant about everything, and avoid letting his subordinates know about him. However, he should know his subordinates well, control them at any time, and use the power of killing. Machiavelli believed that the monarch should have absolute control over an army with excellent weapons and quality. "Anyone who has his own well-equipped army will find that no matter how suddenly the situation turns, he is always in a favorable position." Also, in order to maintain the autonomy of power, a monarch must never trust anyone; he must not reveal his true feelings to others, he must not expect others to be honest with him, and he must not tie his fate to others. For a monarch to withstand the torment of loneliness, "the most dangerous thing is a congenial person." Therefore, we should be suspicious of everyone, organize our eyes and ears to monitor them secretly, recruit party members to eliminate dissidents, and set up powers to check each other... In short, in order to maintain the status of the monarch, all means are allowed.
Machiavellianism is a derogatory term in the West and a cultural tributary of heresy; once anyone is labeled a "Machiavellian", his reputation will be discredited. Nixon was called a "Machiavellian" for his conspiracies such as the "Watergate Incident". His political status plummeted and he became one of the three "worst" presidents in American history.
High Machiavellians work effectively in the following aspects:
A. When they interact directly with others face to face, rather than interacting indirectly;
B. When the situation requires the least rules and restrictions and allows for improvisation;
C. When emotional involvement has nothing to do with success.
Do high Machiavellians make good employees? It depends on the type of job and whether you consider its ethical implications when evaluating performance. High Machiavellians will do well in jobs that require negotiation skills and in jobs where success can bring substantial benefits (such as being a sales agent); in situations where the results do not justify the means, behavior is absolutely High Machiavellians can hardly be expected to perform well when the normative standards and the three conditions listed in the previous paragraph are not present.
----------------
Machiavelli was a representative of Italy’s emerging bourgeoisie in the late Middle Ages and advocated an end to Italy’s political dominance. Divide the state and establish a strong centralized state.
He abandoned medieval scholasticism and dogmatic reasoning methods. He no longer started from the Bible and God, but from human nature, and studied social and political issues based on historical facts and personal experience. He regarded political science as a practical discipline, distinguished politics from ethics, and regarded the country as a pure power organization. His national theory is based on the theory of evil nature. He believes that people are selfish and it is human nature to pursue power, reputation, and wealth. Therefore, fierce struggles often occur between people. In order to prevent endless human battles, the state came into being. Promulgate criminal laws, restrain evil, and establish order. The state is a product of the evil nature of human nature.
He praised the political system and the political system, believing that the political system and the political system can help promote social welfare, develop personal talents, and cultivate citizen virtues. However, he believed that at that time, Italy was in a state of human depravity, national division, and social turmoil. The only way to achieve national unity and social peace was to establish a strong autocratic monarchy system.
He offered advice to the monarch and elaborated on a set of political thoughts on governance: ①The army and law are the basis of power. ②The monarch should monopolize power, focus on strength, and be proficient in military affairs. ③The monarch should not be bound by any moral principles. He only needs to consider whether the effect is beneficial, and does not need to consider whether the means are harmful. He can show kindness externally and be cunning inwardly, or he can imitate the fox or the lion, and he can be cunning and cruel at the same time. ④The monarch can be an enemy of the nobles, but not the people. ⑤The monarch should not seek false fame but pay attention to reality.
Cruelty and kindness, stinginess and generosity must all be based on reality. A wise king would rather be ridiculed for being stingy than seek the reputation of being generous.